1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to imager based data collection devices and methods for using such devices; and particularly to a system including an optical reader and a specially structured symbol adapted to cause the reader to commence image data reading according to a protocol determined in part by at least one indicator of the symbol.
2. Background of the Prior Art
With increasing sophistication of imaging assemblies used in optical readers there has been a growing effort to utilize information from captured images representing indicia in areas surrounding a bar code symbol being decoded.
Various suggestions have been made in the prior art to capture and read image data representing extraneous indicia in addition to image data representing a bar code symbol subject to decoding. For example, in some applications a signature field in a known location in relation to a bar code symbol is captured, read, and output in addition to a bar code symbol. A major drawback of existing optical reader systems which suggest utilization of non-symbol image data is that these readers, generally speaking, can successfully process non-symbol image data only in the case where the non-symbol image data reading region is of a prescribed orientation and location in relation to a symbol. Furthermore, readers in such systems in general can process image data according to only one established protocol for each symbol that is read.
There is a need for a large area image capture image data reading system which can capture and process image data from an image data reading region which may be in a location in relation to a symbol that is unknown by the reader prior to reading, and which can flexibly process image data according to various types of protocols.